Cheminaud seeking third straight stakes on Utah Beach

Today’s Churchill Downs media update by publicist Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media/Maddy Becker photo of Utah Beach winning Keeneland’s G2 VisitLEX Elkhorn)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, June 13, 2025) – Jockey Vincent Cheminaud will try to keep a hot hand aboard Utah Beach as the turf marathoner takes aim at a third consecutive stakes win in Saturday’s $200,000 Chorleywood Stakes (Listed) at Churchill Downs.

Utah Beach, owned by Jeffrey Amling and Merriebelle Stable, enters the Chorleywood on a two-race win streak with victories in the Elkhorn Stakes (GII) at Keeneland and the Louisville Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

“He’s in great form from his last two races,” Cheminaud said. “He dug in last time in the Louisville and was very game down the stretch. Saturday’s race is a little bit shorter, but he’s a fairly tactical horse.”

The 1 3/8-mile Chorleywood will be contested at a furlong shorter than both the Louisville and Elkhorn. Utah Beachhas yet to race at the distance, with four of his five career wins coming at 1 ½ miles. Overall, the 5-year-old son of English Channel sports a record of 15-5-5-1—$687,785.

The field for the Chorleywood from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

• Lord Bullingdon (Ben Curtis, Michael McCarthy, 20-1)
• Tapit Shoes (Rafael Bejarano, Ed Moger Jr., 15-1)
• Utah Beach (Cheminaud, Ignacio Correas IV, 7-2)
• Rebel Red (GB) (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux, 3-1)
• Goldeneye (Julien Leparoux, Kenny McPeek, 10-1)
• Lambeth (Brian Hernandez Jr., Joe Sharp, 6-1)
• Anglophile (Mario Gutierrez, Lynch, 5-1)
• Highway Robber (Cristian Torres, Brian Lynch, 15-1)
• Verstappen (Frankie Dettori, Brendan Walsh, 10-1)
• Sugoi (Luis Saez, Mike Maker, 5-1)

Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

DERBY CITY 6 JACKPOT STANDS AT $742,799 – Friday’s 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot has risen to a massive $742,799 for the sequence beginning in Race 4.

Friday’s sequence: (with field size as of 10:30 a.m.)

• Race 4 (2:13 p.m.): Clm 16000n2L, f&m, 7 F (seven runners)
• Race 5 (2:45 p.m.): Alw 50000s, f&m, 1 1/16 M (T) (10 runners)
• Race 6 (3:18 p.m.): OC 100000n3x, 3&up, 6 F (six runners)
• Race 7 (3:50 p.m.): OC 80000n2x, f&m, 1 1/16 M (eight runners)
• Race 8 (4:22 p.m.): Alw 127000n1x, 3&up, 1 ½ M (T) (12 runners)
• Race 9 (4:55 p.m.): Clm 40000n2L, 3&up, 1 1/16 M (eight runners)

          The Derby City 6 Jackpot tests bettors to correctly select all six winners, and if they have the only winning combination, they will take down the entire jackpot. If there are multiple winning combinations, 90 percent of the day’s pool is paid out with the other 10 percent going to the carryover. If there are no correct combinations, the entire day’s pool will be added to the jackpot.

          Thursday’s sequence returned a whopping $67,140 with $263,343 of new money bet into the pool.

          Horseplayers can wager on the Derby City 6 Jackpot, and every race from Churchill Downs, on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated. 

DOWN THE STRETCH – Jockey Corey Lanerie needs five wins to tie and six to surpass Calvin Borel for the second all-time leading rider in Churchill Downs history. Borel currently holds the No. 2 spot with 1,232 victories. Pat Day is the all-time record holder with a seemly-unsurmountable 2,482 victories. … Jockey Declan Cannon was on the Churchill Downs backstretch Friday morning as he continues to recover from a back injury when his mount clipped heels in last month’s Louisville Stakes. Cannon hopes to return to the saddle in the coming weeks. … There were 124 horses who recorded published workouts Friday at Churchill Downs including Godolphin’s First Mission, who completed five furlongs in 1:00. The winner of the Oaklawn Handicap (GII) is among several possible runners for trainer Brad Cox in the $1 million Stephen Foster (GI) on June 28. Nominations for the Stephen Foster, along with the 10 supporting stakes across closing weekend of the Spring Meet, will be published Friday afternoon. … “Inside Churchill Downs” airs Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN Louisville. The one-hour show will preview the weekend action at Churchill Downs along with other events around the racing world. Those in the Louisville area can listen live on ESPN 680/105.7 or worldwide at www.espnlouisville.com. … Saturday isMilitary Appreciation Day presented by Coca-Cola. All active-duty and retired military members receive free general admission and a program with valid military ID and can purchase discounted $40 tickets to Millionaires’ Row and Skye Terrace by calling (502) 636-4450. … For more information about the Churchill Downs Spring Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.